Right Sleeping Position

Here's the Sleeping Position That's Right for You Based on Your Aches and Pains

If you’re clocking the recommended 7 to 8 hours of shut-eye per night, that adds up to around 50 hours per week of your life spent snoozing—and that’s a pretty significant amount of time for your body to spend in any position. While there’s no one right sleeping position for everyone, if you have chronic pain, it is possible that you’re sleeping in the wrong way, so to speak, and worsening the discomfort you’re feeling during the daytime. To that end, the best sleeping positions for different types of pain typically revolve around aligning your body in a way that removes undue pressure from any associated nerves and joints, says rheumatologist and internist Jonathan M. Greer, MD.

To start, Dr. Greer’s top recommendation across the board for anyone who suffers from any kind of back or neck pain is to remove stomach-sleeping from the equation. “Sleeping on the stomach is a big culprit when it comes to exacerbating neck and back pain,” he says, “as it causes an unnatural extension of the spine.” Not to mention, it can trigger numbness or tingling in the arms due to nerve compression, says physical-medicine and rehabilitation doctor Jaspal R. Singh, MD.

But before we get into the back and side sleeping positions that work best for different pain scenarios, a quick word about what exactly you’re sleeping on, as that plays a big role in sleep comfort, too: You can let go of the common refrain about an ultra-firm mattress being best for those with back pain. “In actuality, I recommend a medium-soft mattress for anyone with back pain, and for those who already have a hard mattress, adding a pillow top or egg-crate mattress topper to remove some of the pressure points that can happen otherwise,” says Dr. Greer. Just be sure you don’t go too soft, as you don’t want to be sinking deep into the mattress either, adds Dr. Singh.

A similar goldilocks situation applies to your pillow (or multiple pillows), which can also affect your overall sleeping position—and whether it works with or against your body. This is particularly important when it comes to upper-back and neck pain, says Dr. Greer: “A neck pillow or contour pillow that conforms to the shape of the neck helps extend the neck and prevent it from slipping into a compressed position while you sleep.”

In both cases, however, it’s important to let comfort be your guide, according to Dr. Greer: “I always say, if you’re doing any kind of exercise or activity that creates or worsens some kind of pain, it’s a signal that you need to adjust,” he says, “and that applies to your mattress, pillow, and sleeping position, as well.”

And while we’re at it, don’t forget about your daytime posture and alignment, too, adds Dr. Singh, which can, of course, trigger or exacerbate spine pain in just the same way that a bad sleeping position can. “It’s essential to maintain a good, ergonomic workstation and a highly mobile lifestyle, frequently changing positions, rather than sitting in one spot all day, in order to bring blood flow and nutrients to the spine,” he says.

Scroll down for the best sleeping positions for different aches and pains

For back pain: Lie on your side with a pillow between your knees

Lying flat on your back with your legs outstretched can cause unnatural extension of the spine leading to pain, says Dr. Greer. Instead, both he and Dr. Singh suggest lying on your side with your legs bent (toward your stomach, in the direction of a fetal position) with a pillow sandwiched between your knees. “Supporting and aligning the hips in this way will take pressure off your spine,” says Dr. Singh.

If, however, you strongly prefer to lie on your back, you can do so in a more spine-supportive way by propping a pillow beneath your lower legs (as noted for anyone with hip pain below). Another option: Consider an adjustable bed that bends upward a bit, so that you’re not lying fully flat, but instead, a bit more upright. “Elevating the head above the feet, similar to how you would in a recliner, can remove some pressure from the lower part of the back, and help with snoring, too,” says Dr. Singh.

As a precautionary note, if your back pain is regularly keeping you awake or persists longer than three weeks, it’s worth getting it evaluated by a medical professional, says Dr. Greer. And the same goes if you’re experiencing recurring numbness or tingling radiating down a leg, which could be a sign of a pinched nerve.

For hip pain: Lie on your back with a pillow beneath your knees or lower legs

Because lying on your side may worsen hip pain, it’s best to try sleeping on your back with your legs slightly propped up by way of a pillow placed under the knees. “The bony prominence that sticks out of the hip called the greater trochanter has a sack of fluid on top called a bursa,” says Dr. Greer, “which can often get aggravated when you lie on one side all night, especially if you’re on a hard mattress—and that can cause inflammation called bursitis.” Choosing a back-sleeping position can help you avoid that.

For neck pain: Lie on your side or back using a contour pillow

You can choose either your back or your side—it’s a matter of personal preference and comfort, in this case—but be sure to select your pillow carefully, as noted above. A pillow made specifically to conform to the neck’s natural shape will be your best bet. “You don’t want to go with multiple pillows under the neck or no pillow at all, as either option can cause unnatural extension,” says Dr. Singh.

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Foods That Help You Sleep

Foods That Help You Sleep

Food plays a key role in sleep. Certain foods can interfere with getting a good night’s slumber and we’ve often been told to avoid them for better sleep hygiene.

Caffeine is the most obvious example when it comes to stimulating wakefulness, which is why it’s best to keep off that cup of coffee or can of soda later in the day. But did you know that there are also certain foods that can help you get more quality sleep?

It all starts with melatonin

As a naturally occurring hormone in the human body, melatonin plays an important part in regulating our sleep-wake cycle. No doubt you’re all familiar with the terms circadian rhythm or body clock – the timing of our body processes (such as eating, sleeping and temperature) according to a regular schedule over a 24-hour period.

As our eyes detect light or darkness through the retina, melatonin is manufactured by the pineal gland in our brain. More melatonin is produced with reduced light, with levels increasing by at least tenfold in the evening compared to daytime.

Melatonin is often referred to as the ‘sleep hormone’ since it acts as a time cue to anticipate sleep.

It is also important to note that the precursor to melatonin is serotonin, a well-known neurotransmitter which is derived from the amino acid tryptophan. We know that exposure to sunlight increases our serotonin and that our pineal gland in the brain converts it to melatonin as night time and darkness set in. But did you know that we can also boost melatonin through certain foods rich in tryptophan?

What is tryptophan?

Tryptophan is referred to as an essential amino acid, which means that your body cannot make it – you must obtain it from your diet through protein-rich foods.

Once consumed, tryptophan crosses your blood-brain barrier and is used to make serotonin in the brain. Without adequate levels of tryptophan in the brain, sleep can be a struggle.



The challenge with shuttling tryptophan to your brain is that it has to compete with other amino acids for access to the limited number of channels that line your blood-brain barrier. Moreover, tryptophan tends to be outnumbered by other amino acids in natural foods.

The key to getting enough tryptophan to your brain for good sleep is to add tryptophan-rich foods to a carb-rich diet. Consuming healthy carbohydrates causes your body to release insulin, which diverts many other amino acids away from your brain. This leaves tryptophan with little competition to cross the blood-brain barrier so it reaches your brain more easily.

Tryptophan-rich foods

Combine any of these with a healthy, carbohydrate-rich diet and you can promote both normal sleep onset and maintenance.

Bananas

Whole grains, esp. oats and barley
Dates
Lentils
Wheatgerm
Chickpeas
Walnuts
Cashews
Turkey
Wild-caught salmon and other seafood
Free range chicken
Free range eggs
Ground flax seeds
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Spinach
Miso or tempeh (fermented soybeans)

Combined meal ideas
An apple with 1 tbsp of cashew butter
A banana with your Happy Weight smoothie
Oat porridge with wheat germ and flax seeds
Brown rice with spinach and tempeh
Miso soup with 100% buckwheat soba noodles
Barley, spinach and lentil soup
Stewed apple, walnuts, cinnamon and tahini
Salmon, brown rice and miso
Brown rice with lentils and guacamole
Hummus and broccoli burgers
Egg with a slice of sourdough toast
Brown rice noodles with turkey/chicken
Herbal teas

Herbal teas can be considered a food and regular use can assist the body to establish a healthy circadian rhythm. Common herbal teas to help sleep are chamomile, vervain, valerian, passionflower, lavender, magnolia and sage if you are having hot flushes.

Fermented foods

New research indicates that probiotics before bed can have an impact on the production of your sleep hormones. The reason for this is these hormones are largely produced in your GUT. Our ladies taking Happy Greens regularly comment that taking a 15ml dose before sleeping induces a deeper and more natural sleep cycle.

Other ways to improve sleep

If you still have trouble making enough melatonin and having a good night’s sleep, you may need some natural supplemental support. Our Happy Calm is a gentle nervous system tonic that can assist you to develop healthy sleep habits.



For more tips on boosting your energy through improved sleep, see our article on 22 Tips to Improve Sleep & Hormonal Health.

You might also like to check out our Sleepy Milk Elixir recipe for a healthy and nourishing nightcap!
REFERENCES

Kim, B., Hong, V. M., Yang, J., Hyun, H., Im, J. J., Hwang, J., Yoon, S., & Kim, J. E. (2016). A Review of Fermented Foods with Beneficial Effects on Brain and Cognitive Function. Preventive nutrition and food science, 21(4), 297–309.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5216880/

Li, Y., Hao, Y., Fan, F., & Zhang, B. (2018). The Role of Microbiome in Insomnia, Circadian Disturbance and Depression. Frontiers in psychiatry, 9, 669.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6290721/

O'Callaghan, F., Muurlink, O., & Reid, N. (2018). Effects of caffeine on sleep quality and daytime functioning. Risk management and healthcare policy, 11, 263–271.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6292246/

Paredes, S. D., Barriga, C., Reiter, R. J., & Rodríguez, A. B. (2009). Assessment of the Potential Role of Tryptophan as the Precursor of Serotonin and Melatonin for the Aged Sleep-wake Cycle and Immune Function: Streptopelia Risoria as a Model. International journal of tryptophan research : IJTR, 2, 23–36.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3195230/

Zisapel N. (2018). New perspectives on the role of melatonin in human sleep, circadian rhythms and their regulation. British journal of pharmacology, 175(16), 3190–3199.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6057895/



Lauren Jane

Lauren Jane is an accredited Naturopath with a background in Psychology. She has over ten years of experience in the wellness industry, working in both private practice and at one of the top holistic health resorts in the world. Lauren is passionate about supporting women from around the globe to reset, rebalance & restore their health. She has a passion for women's health and weight management; and specialises in adrenal fatigue & gut health. In her downtime she enjoys food, travel and stays fit with Muay thai fighting.

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Waking at 3 am? It Could Be Your Liver

Waking at 3 am? It Could Be Your Liver

Are you constantly waking up nightly at 2 - 3am then spending the next couple of hours tossing and turning, only to find yourself finally dozing off and waking with complete fatigue?

You’re not alone. There are multiple influences on your circadian rhythm (sleep/wake cycle) and it just so happens that your organs have their own autonomously regulated body clocks for daily cleansing. Between 12 - 3am, your molecular clockwork has been traditionally associated with liver detoxification and regulatory processes.

Even more interesting, your body has anatomical hierarchy where the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) within the hypothalamus is the master clock, a timekeeper for organs. This part of the brain regulates the sleep/wake cycle by retinal perceived light and darkness and synchronizes your body organs for detoxification or regulatory mechanisms.

We are engrained with innate biological patterns that dictate our physiology, behaviour, thermal control, blood pressure, cortisol, melatonin, hormones, mental health and cognition. It’s not just humans with these 24 hour cycles; they are ubiquitous in nature and influence plants, animals, bacteria, fungus and even algae.

Research indicates that these clocks are highly sensitive to metabolic cues – meaning eating and liver detoxification patterns play a huge role in your circadian rhythm. Your metabolic and digestive feedback communications are sending signals to the liver where it balances energy and metabolises carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Cholesterol, sex hormones and thyroid metabolism also have their own metabolic clock processing times within the liver – what!? YEP! Your body is super complex and needs to be nourished accordingly.

Liver Metabolism

The liver has an internal timing system for physiological processes to occur in the most beneficial manner. Your liver is a major metabolic ‘hub’ – it converts hormones and nutrients and also cleanses the blood. Being the key organ for detoxification, the liver naturally detoxifies when you’re in the deepest non-REM cycle which normally takes place around 12 – 3am.

Research is still underway to identify the precise timing for liver detoxification; however, we do know it works intricately with the SCN timing for sleep. The liver must metabolise cholesterol, fatty acids, glucose, thyroid hormones, bile acids, iron and everything in between – it’s a big job. If your digestive/liver function is imbalanced, or your meals are too late in the evening, this can detrimentally impact your sleep quality. The liver will always prioritise toxin detoxification. Thus, if your liver is heavily congested, it may influence your sleep/wake cycle.



Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Perspective

In TCM, the liver is extensively associated with emotions, vitality, digestion and hormonal metabolism. TCM correlates heightened liver blood flow from 11pm to 3am for optimal repair and recommends people should be in deep sleeps during this time. They also believe that anger debilitates the liver, causing stagnation and inability to sufficiently cleanse the blood.

Blood Glucose Metabolism (sugars)

Rhythmic insulin is also controlled by your pancreatic clock. The pancreas has innate feeding-fasting clock rhythms, too. Are you eating too late at night? Are you eating sweets at night or just before bed? This can be putting pressure on your pancreatic processes to balance blood sugars when your body should be in a fasting and reparative state. It’s not just your pancreas lowering blood sugars either – it’s your liver as well.

Insulin sensitivity peaks from 12 – 3am, facilitating the utilisation and appropriate metabolism of sugars. This is another reason why glucose and insulin pathology testing is done in a fasted state in the morning.

Adrenal Insufficiency and Cortisol

Cortisol is a key regulator of our sleep/wake cycle and must be taken into great consideration when dealing with sleep issues. It has been shown to indirectly influence the master clock control as well as the liver. Cortisol is conditioned by your hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the liver, peaking around two hours subsequent to waking. The anterior pituitary gland is the same gland that regulates your thyroid and sex hormones – ahhh another link!

High cortisol or a complete flat-line in cortisol (from excessive stress, exertion or trauma) can significantly affect your circadian rhythm, cortisol metabolism, blood sugar metabolism and liver detoxification. Cortisol has been shown to influence clock gene Per1 in the liver, potentially influencing the liver's clock rhythm. Melatonin (your night-time perceived hormone) also has a direct synchronistic rhythm to cortisol – if cortisol is increased, melatonin if often decreased in ratio. If you’re dealing with underlying chronic stress or environmental stressors, this can be a key influence on your sleep/wake cycle. Learn how to balance adrenal glands and cortisol here.

As you can see, the liver and sleep/wake cycle has many influences.

Hormonal Influences

There is an intricate link between the circadian rhythm and daily hormonal rhythms. When hormonal communications are imbalanced, they have detrimental effects on the circadian rhythmicity. Research has now suggested that there are oestrogen receptor sites within the SCN and hypothalamus regions in the brain, inducing poor sleep quality with sex hormone changes during adolescence, post-partum, perimenopause and menopause.

Research has also found that the absence of oestrogen can influence neuronal signaling, receptor site integrity, the SCN and luteinising hormone (LH) – hello perimenopause! The ovaries have their own very intricate body clock mechanisms necessary for healthy hormonal rhythms so this concludes that imbalanced oestrogen and progesterone can significantly impact your sleep/wake cycle.

How to Improve Your Liver Organ Clock Synchronicity

You must nourish your liver to enhance a healthy sleep/wake cycle. Here are a few things you can do:

Avoid eating too late in the evening, especially sweets and processed or high carbohydrate foods.

 Try to have your last meal three hours prior to bedtime.

Increase bitter foods with each meal (dark leafy greens, bitter gourd, cruciferous vegetables, cacao, turmeric, ginger and citrus). Also, check out these foods that help with sleep.

Set automated timers on your screens to reduce brightness and blue lights to their lowest setting.

Try to synchronise your rhythms with the external natural environment. Wake upon sunrise and ensure dim lighting with sunset.

Avoid screens and bright lights two hours prior to bed (this is very important).

Unresolved emotions or anger issues must be addressed. Try to see a counsellor, sign up for group therapy, or find ways to help work through difficult underlying emotions.

Ensure evening stress-reducing activities to support reduction in cortisol. These may include journaling, meditation, evening stretches, reading, or some sort of gentle outlet for your mental health.

Implement a nightly routine including feel good accompaniments – epsom salt foot soaks, essential oils, salt lamps, body oils, self-love, gratitude journaling, and reconnecting to your mind and body.

Focus on balancing hormones, digestion and nourishing the liver for optimal sleep patterns. This is the perfect time to evaluate your diet, lifestyle and natural interventions to help rectify poor sleep habits and patterns.

REFERENCES

Challet E. (2015) Keeping circadian time with hormones. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 76–83.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26332971/

Foster RG and Kreitzman L. (2013) The rhythms of life: what your body clock means to you! Experimental Physiology, 99(4), 599–606.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24363383/

Hatcher KM, Royston SE, and Mahoney MM. (2018) Modulation of circadian rhythms through estrogen receptor signaling. European Journal of Neuroscience. Jan;51(1):217-228.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30270552/

Liu et al. (2017) Liver in the Chinese and Western Medicine. Integrative Medicine International, 4:39-45.
https://doi.org/10.1159/000466694

Miller BH and Takahashi JS. (2014) Central Circadian Control of Female Reproductive Function. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2013; 4: 195.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3898595/

Nagy AD and Reddy AB. (2015). Time dictates: emerging clinical analyses of the impact of circadian rhythms on diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of disease.Clinical Medicine. 15(Suppl_6), s50–s53.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26634682/

Pierre K, Schlesinger N, Androulakis IP. (2017) The Hepato-Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal-Renal Axis: Mathematical Modeling of Cortisol’s Production, Metabolism, and Seasonal Variation. Journal of Biological Rhythms, Oct;32(5):469-484.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28946788/

Reink, H. & Asher G. (2016) Circadian Clock Control of Liver Metabolic Functions. . Gastroenterology, Mar;150(3):574-80.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26657326/

MBL Life Science. What is a circadian rhythm? Retrieved from SCN: https://www.mblbio.com/bio/g/product/circadian/article/index.html

Sen A. & Hoffmann HM. (2019) Role of core circadian clock genes in hormone release and target tissue sensitivity in the reproductive axis. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. Vo 501, 5 February 2020, 110655.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0303720719303570




Renee Grandi


Renee is passionate about women's health and helping women achieve their health goals, inspired by her own struggles with PCOS. She understands that disease is multi-factorial; and finding the root cause & nourishing imbalances with achievable step-by-step support improves overall health and wellness for lasting results.
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Tips for Managing Insomnia During Cancer Treatment,

Out of the Blue I received the following email and the article answers many of my questions...

Alexandra Hadfield <alexandra@mail.mattressadvisor.com>	12:00 AM (12 hours ago)
to me

Hi, 

I hope you're safe and doing well! I am reaching out to you because I think you have helpful resources and thought that one of our guides would be a great addition to this page https://health-tid-bits.blogspot.com/2019/08/piya-aiso-jiya-mein-sahib-bibi-aur.html.

Check it out here: https://www.mattressadvisor.com/sleep-and-chemotherapy/

Our guide outlines common sleep problems people going through chemotherapy can experience during their treatment and gives practical solutions to help solve these issues. With over half of patients going through cancer treatment experiencing sleep-related issues, I think many people on your site could benefit from this information.

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Tips for Managing Insomnia During Cancer Treatment

Learn how to alleviate insomnia symptoms during chemotherapy

By Jennifer

January 12, 2021


RELATED ARTICLES

SLEEP AND CANCERHOW SLEEP AND BREAST CANCER ARE

 RELATEDNight Sweats


A cancer diagnosis is worrisome enough that it can cause most anyone to lose sleep. In fact, 20% to 75% of newly diagnosed or recently treated cancer patients report sleep problems, according to Sleep Medicine Research—that’s about twice as much as the general population. But the most common treatment for cancer may also be to blame.

According to a study published in the journal Sleep, the first round of chemotherapy is linked to a temporary disruption of sleep-wake cycles in breast cancer patients. And, “repeated administration of chemotherapy resulted in progressively worse and more enduring impairments.”

Treatments That Can Cause Insomnia

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder in which you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Insomnia can be short-term (acute), lasting for days or weeks. Or, it can be a long-term (chronic) condition that lasts for a month or more. There are several cancer treatments that can contribute to insomnia.

Steroids

Cancer patients are sometimes treated with steroids to treat cancer, reduce inflammation, reduce the body’s immune response (such as after a bone marrow transplant), reduce chemotherapy-associated nausea, and improve your appetite. However, steroids may make it difficult for you to fall asleep, especially if you take them in the evening.

Anti-Sickness Drugs

Most patients treated with chemotherapy are also given anti-nausea drugs, or antiemetics, which block the nerve impulse that travels from the blood or stomach to the brain, where the vomiting center is located. While these drugs serve a great benefit to cancer patients, some (such as dexamethasone) have been associated with insomnia while others (such as Zofran) can cause drowsiness and sedation.

Hormones Treatment

Hormone therapy is used to stop or slow the growth of cancers that rely on hormones to grow, such as breast, endometrial, prostate, and adrenal cancers. It is sometimes called endocrine therapy. Hormone therapy side effects include fatigue and hot flashes which can also cause sleep problems.

Physical Factors of Chemotherapy and Sleep

Chemotherapy is a potent treatment designed to kill fast-growing cancer cells. The drug travels throughout the body, which means it can affect normal, healthy cells in its wake. Damaged healthy cells can cause side effects such as hair loss, infections, anemia, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, mouth sores, nerve problems, urine and bladder changes, brain fog, and fertility problems.

Chemotherapy can also make you feel fatigued. You may even feel sleepy enough to nap during the day, which in turn makes falling to sleep at night more challenging. Cancer patients going through treatment may also experience mental health symptoms such as anxiety or depression, which also interferes with sleep.

Mental Health and Sleep

It’s not uncommon for people dealing with cancer to feel sad or anxious. A cancer diagnosis fills you with fear and uncertainty about the future. The stress caused by the ups and downs of treatment can also weigh on you heavily and lead to mental health issues that, in turn, can impact your sleep.

Cancer-related depression can be mild and short-lasting. But for a fourth of all cancer patients, it can feel oppressive and linger, leading to a condition called major depression or clinical depression.

Similar to depression, cancer-related anxiety can be mild and temporary. But some may become consumed with worry or fear of treatment or treatment-related side effects, fear of their cancer returning, even fear of dying.

Chronic anxiety and depression can lead to excessive fatigue and insomnia, and can greatly interfere with your quality of life.

Chemotherapy and Fatigue

People with insomnia may feel tired during the day, but fatigue is slightly different. Fatigue is less of a feeling of sleepiness and more of a prolonged energy drain. Some people who are fatigued may say they are so tired they can’t fall asleep. Cancer patients going through chemotherapy may experience insomnia, fatigue, or both at the same time.

Fatigue is a persistent and distressing sense of physical and emotional exhaustion that interferes with your normal, everyday activities and can significantly impact your quality of life, according to an analysis published in the journal Comparative Medicine.

Medications

Many of the therapies used to treat cancer can cause fatigue, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy. Even painkillers used to relieve cancer pain can cause fatigue, such as powerful opioids like fentanyl, oxycodone, and morphine. Some patients on high-dose opioids may experience general tiredness for weeks.

Anemia

Anemia is when you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells to adequately deliver oxygen to your body’s tissues, which can cause fatigue. About 7 in 10 cancer patients will become anemic during chemotherapy because the treatment can adversely impact blood counts.

Hormonal Changes

Chemotherapy drugs can alter protein and hormone levels in both men and women. This can have an affect on the inflammatory processes in the body which, in turn, can cause or worsen fatigue.

Emotions

Going through cancer treatment can feel like you’re riding an emotional roller coaster. There are highs and lows, and white knuckle moments. Anxiety and depression are not uncommon and, for some, the fear and sadness can linger not only for patients, but their family members as well.

Pain

Pain in cancer patients may be caused by the disease or by the treatment they are undergoing. The amount of pain you feel depends on several variables including the type of cancer, its stage, the treatment you’re undergoing, and your overall tolerance to pain. Research shows that pain can interfere with sleep and contribute to fatigue. But a sleep deficit can also reduce the body’s tolerance to pain and worsen inflammation, leading to a seemingly endless cycle of pain and sleeplessness.

Decreased Nutrition

Side effects of chemotherapy or cancer itself can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, and changes in taste sensation. These can cause a loss of appetite and lead to weight loss and malnutrition. When your body is malnourished, you feel exhausted and fatigued.

Combating Sleepless Nights

Schedule Rest

Fatigue can be overwhelming. Buy scheduling rest breaks throughout the day, you can reserve energy for when you need it the most, such as when you have visitors. If you feel you need a nap, limit them to no more than an hour so you won’t have trouble falling asleep at night.

Nutrition

Cancer symptoms as well as side effects from cancer treatments can zap your appetite and cause symptoms that make you want to avoid food, such as nausea, vomiting, and mouth sores. But getting nutrients and calories during chemotherapy can help fight fatigue and keep you strong and better able to withstand the effects of cancer and its treatments. This may mean taking advantage of more high-fat, high-calorie foods to maintain a healthy weight, or drinking cooling milkshakes to help numb painful mouth sores.

Hydration

Dehydration can happen to anyone, not just cancer patients. But people with cancer may be at higher risk due to treatment side effects like vomiting and diarrhea. Without enough fluids, the human body cannot function properly. Fatigue is one of the main symptoms of dehydration. So it is especially important for cancer patients to drink plenty of fluids—at least eight cups of water a day. Eating foods with high water content, such as watermelon and popsicles, can also help keep you hydrated.

Vitamins

According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, between 14% and 32% of people newly diagnosed with cancer began using nutritional supplements, and many chose to use them to improve their nutrition or reduce adverse effects associated with cancer treatment including chemotherapy-related fatigue. However, patients who are considering using supplements should first talk with their doctors as some vitamins and supplements may interfere with the medication they are taking.

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Sleep and Cancer

Does sleep deprivation cause cancer? Why do cancer patients have sleep troubles? Learn the answers to these questions in this guide.

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Don't let your night sweats interrupt a good night's sleep. Learn how to sleep through the night without losing your cool.

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FDA approves new device to reduce snoring and sleep apnea that's worn for just 20 minutes during the day

 FDA approves new device to reduce snoring and sleep apnea that's worn for just 20 minutes during the day

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved marketing of a new device that could help patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.

The device is the first device of its kind to be intended for use during the day, most devices are intended for use during sleep.

FDA assessments found that the device reduced loud snoring by 20% in 87 out of 115 patients.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Friday a new device that could help prevent sleep apnea and snoring — and it doesn't need to be worn at night.

People who snore — and their partners — currently have very few options on the market to alleviate their suffering. And much of what is available involves uncomfortable mouth guards or noisy C-Pap machines.

The eXciteOSA device authorized Friday is the first of its kind cleared to treat sleep apnea and snoring by improving tongue muscle function by delivering electrical stimulation to the tongue through a mouthpiece worn for 20 minutes a day. It helps retrain the tongue to prevent it from collapsing backwards and blocking airflow during sleep.

Obstructive sleep apnea is prevalent and occurs when the upper airway becomes blocked repeatedly during sleep, reducing or completely blocking airflow. Left untreated, OSA can lead to serious complications such as glaucoma, heart attack, diabetes, cancer and cognitive and behavioral disorders.

"Obstructive sleep apnea not only impacts sleep quality, but can have other serious health impacts if untreated. Today's authorization offers a new option for the thousands of individuals who experience snoring or mild sleep apnea," said Malvina Eydelman, MD., director of the Office of Ophthalmic, Anesthesia, Respiratory, ENT and Dental Devices in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

The eXciteOSA mouthpiece has four electrodes, two located above the tongue and two located under the tongue. It provides electrical muscle stimulation in sessions that consist of a series of electrical pulses with rest periods in between. It is used for 20 minutes once a day while you're awake, for a period of 6 weeks, and once a week thereafter.

The agency said the device reduced loud snoring by 20% in 87 out of the 115 patients it assessed. Of those patients, who all snored, 48 also had mild sleep apnea.

The most common side effects observed were excessive salivation, tongue or tooth discomfort, tongue tingling, dental filling sensitivity, metallic taste, gagging and tight jaw.

The FDA granted the marketing authorization to Signifier Medical Technologies.

Wake up, people: You're fooling yourself about sleep, study says - Apple News

Wake up, people: You're fooling yourself about sleep, study says

Updated 2:06 PM EDT April 17, 2019

Hey, sleepyheads. What you believe about sleep may be nothing but a pipe dream.

Many of us have notions about sleep that have little basis in fact and may even be harmful to our health, according to researchers at NYU Langone Health's School of Medicine, who conducted a study published Tuesday in the journal Sleep Health.

"There's such a link between good sleep and our waking success," said lead study investigator Rebecca Robbins, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health. "And yet we often find ourselves debunking myths, whether it's to news outlets, friends, family or a patient."

Robbins and her colleagues combed through 8,000 websites to discover what we thought we knew about healthy sleep habits and then presented those beliefs to a hand-picked team of sleep medicine experts. They determined which were myths and then ranked them by degree of falsehood and importance to health.

Here are 10 very wrong, unhealthy assumptions we often make about sleep, an act in which we spend an estimated third of our lives -- or, if we lived to 100, about 12,227 combined days. 

Stop yawning. It's time to put these unsound sleep myths to bed.

1. Adults need five or fewer hours of sleep

"If you wanted to have the ability to function at your best during the day, not to be sick, to be mentally strong, to be able to have the lifestyle that you would enjoy, how many hours do you have to sleep?" asked senior study investigator Girardin Jean-Louis, a professor in the Department of Population Health.

"It turns out a lot of people felt less than five hours of sleep a night was just fine," he said. "That's the most problematic assumption we found."

We're supposed to get between seven and 10 hours of sleep each night, depending on our age, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that a third of Americans sleep fewer than seven hours a night. According to World Sleep Day statistics, sleep deprivation is threatening the health of up to 45% of the global population.

"We have extensive evidence to show that sleeping five hours a night or less, consistently, increases your risk greatly for adverse health consequences, including cardiovascular disease and early mortality," Robbins said.

In a longitudinal study of 10,308 British civil servants published in 2007, researchers found that those who reduced their sleep from seven to five hours or fewer a night were almost twice as likely to die from all causes, especially cardiovascular disease.

Science has also linked poor slumber with high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, weight gain, a lack of libido, mood swings, paranoia, depression and a higher risk of diabetes, stroke, dementia and some cancers.

2. It's healthy to be able to fall asleep 'anywhere, anytime'

Falling asleep as soon as the car/train/airplane starts moving is not a sign of a well-rested person, sleep experts say. In fact, it's just the opposite. 

"Falling asleep instantly anywhere, anytime, is a sign that you are not getting enough sleep and you're falling into 'micro sleeps' or mini-sleep episodes," Robbins said. 'It means your body is so exhausted that whenever it has a moment, it's going to start to repay its sleep debt."

You feel sleepy because of a buildup of a chemical called adenosine in the brain, which happens throughout the day as you head toward night. Sleeping soundly reduces that chemical so that when you wake up, the levels are at their lowest, and you feel refreshed.

But the longer you stay awake and the less sleep you get, the more your adenosine levels rise, creating what's called a sleep load or sleep debt.

Want to check your level of sleepiness? Look at the Epworth sleepiness scale, and if you're worried, check in with a sleep doctor who can do more extensive testing in a sleep lab. 

3. Your brain and body can adapt to less sleep

People also believed that the brain and body could adapt and learn to function optimally with less sleep. That too is a myth, experts say. That's because your body cycles through four distinct phases of sleep to fully restore itself.

In stage one, you start to lightly sleep, and you become disengaged from your environment in stage two, where you will spend most of your total sleep time. Stages three and four contain the deepest, most restorative sleep and the dreamy state of REM, or rapid eye movement sleep.

"During REM, the brain is highly reactive," Robbins said. "It almost looks like your brain is awake if we hook you up to two more electrodes and were able to monitor your brain waves."

REM can occur any time during the sleep cycle, but on average, it starts about 90 minutes after you've fallen asleep. REM is when your body and brain are busy storing memories, regulating mood and learning. It's also when you dream. Your arm and leg muscles are temporarily paralyzed during REM sleep, so you can't act out your dreams and injure yourself. 

Because a good night's sleep gives your sleep cycle time to repeat, you'll go through several REM cycles, which take up about 25% of your total sleeping time. 

Another important stage of sleep is deep sleep, when your brain waves slow into what is called delta waves or slow-wave sleep. It's the time when human growth hormone is released and memories are further processed. 

"The deeper stages of sleep are really important for generation of neurons, repairing muscle and restoring the immune system," Robbins said. 

It's tough to wake a person from deep sleep. If you do wake, you can feel groggy and fatigued; mental performance can be affected for up to 30 minutes, studies show. 

4. Snoring, although annoying, is mostly harmless

In your dreams, maybe. In fact, "loud, raucous snores interrupted by pauses in breathing" is a marker for sleep apnea, a dangerous sleep disorder that, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, increases risk for heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, asthma, high blood pressure, glaucoma, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease and cognitive and behavior disorders.

"Sleep apnea is extremely exhausting," Robbins said. "These patients sleep and then they wake up over and over; then they are fighting sleep all day long because they're so exhausted. It's also very underdiagnosed. We believe it affects about 30% of the population, and around 10% are diagnosed."

5. Drinking alcohol before bed helps you fall sleep

Do you think a nightcap before bed will help you fall asleep and stay asleep? Dream on.

Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but that's where the benefits end, Robbins said. Instead, it traps you in the lighter stages of sleep and "dramatically reduces the quality of your rest at night."

"It continues to pull you out of rapid eye movement and the deeper stages of sleep, causing you to wake up not feeling restored," Robbins said.

6. Not sleeping? Stay in bed with eyes closed and try and try

You have to admit, it makes sense: How can you fall asleep if you're not in the bed trying? Yet sleep experts say that continuing to count sheep for more than 15 minutes isn't the smartest move. 

"If we stay in bed, we'll start to associate the bed with insomnia," Robbins said. She equates it to "going to the gym and standing on a treadmill and not doing anything." 

In reality, Robbins said, it takes a healthy sleeper about 15 minutes to fall asleep. If you're tossing and turning much longer than that, you should get out of bed, change the environment and do something mindless: "Keep the lights low and fold socks," she suggested.

Some people also believe that it's just as refreshing to your body to lie in bed with eyes closed but not sleeping. Nope. That's another pipe dream, experts say.

7. It doesn't matter what time of day you sleep

Sleep experts say that's another myth that can negatively affect your health.

"We recommend that people have a regular sleep schedule because it controls what we call the biological clock, or circadian rhythm, of the body," Jean-Louis said. "That controls all the hormones of the body, body temperature, eating and digestion, and sleep-wake cycles."

When your inner clock and the outside world are out of phase, you can feel disoriented, mentally foggy and sleepy at times when you need to be functioning at optimal levels. Just think of what happens when you travel across time zones or when daylight savings time kicks in. 

Studies of shift workers, who work unusual hours and live out of sync with their normal biological rhythm, show that they are at increased risk for heart disease, ulcers, depression, obesity and certain cancers, as well as a higher rate of workplace accidents and injuries due to a slower reaction rate and poor decision-making.

8. Watching TV in bed helps you relax

Come on, we all do it -- or we check our laptop or smartphone before we power down for the night. Unfortunately, that sets us up for a bad night.

"These devices emit bright blue light, and that blue light is what tells our brain to become alive and alert in the morning," Robbins explained. "We want to avoid blue light before bed, from sources like a television or your smartphone, and do things that relax you."

According to the National Sleep Foundation, blue light affects the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone, more than any other wavelength of light. Watching TV or using an electronic device within two hours of bedtime means it will take you longer to fall asleep, you'll have less dream state or REM sleep, and even if you do sleep eight or more hours, you'll wake feeling groggy.

If you or your children can't make that two-hour cutoff because of homework or late-night work demands, experts suggest dimming the brightness of the screen or installing an app that can warm the screen to the sunset colors. Red and yellow have higher wavelengths and don't affect melatonin.

9. Hitting snooze is great! No need to get up right away.

Raise your hand if you hit the snooze button. Why not, right? 

"Resist the temptation to snooze, because unfortunately, your body will go back to sleep -- a very light, low-quality sleep," Robbins said. 

As you near the end of your sleep, your body is probably nearing the end of its last REM cycle. Hit that snooze button, and the brain falls right back into a new REM cycle. Now, when the alarm goes off a few minutes later, you'll be in the middle, not the end, of that cycle, and you'll wake up groggy and stay that way longer.

Having trouble kicking the snooze button habit? Put the alarm on the other side of the room, so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. 

And no, you can't tell Google or Alexa to turn it off. That's cheating.

10. Remembering your dreams is a sign of good sleep.

"That's a myth, because all of us do experience dreams four to five times a night," Jean-Louis said. "And we don't remember because we've not woken up and disrupted our sleep."

A study out of France showed that people who frequently remember their dreams have higher brain activity in the information-processing hub of the brains. They also woke twice as often during the night and were more sensitive to sounds when sleeping and awake.

"Now, I will tell you if you have a dream with a strong emotional context, it may come back to you at say, two o'clock in the afternoon, when you have some downtime to relax," Jean-Louis said. "Sometimes, something would trigger that. But if it is a weird little mundane dream, most of us who sleep well don't remember those."

More myths

The research team found more myths that we tend to accept as fact, Jean-Louis said, such as "more sleep is always better" (no, you really can sleep too much and harm your health), "taking a nap in the afternoon can fix insomnia" (actually, if you sleep long enough to enter a REM or deep sleep cycle, it can mess up your body clock even more), and "it's better to have a warm than cool bedroom" (no, you sleep better in cooler temps).

Which means that we could all use a bit of education about good sleep hygiene, a set of habits to form that will set you up for a lifetime of healthy sleep. The National Sleep Foundation has tips, as does the CDC.

After all, there's no amount of caffeine that can help you deal with the adverse implications of insufficient sleep, nor can you train yourself to adapt to sleep deprivation, Robbins said. 

"Sleep is a highly active process," she said. "It's crucial, actually, in restoring the body and is in fact the most efficient, effective way to do so."

Sweet dreams!

Daytime Napping May Lead to An Early Death; But It's Most Likely A Sign Of Something More Serious

Daytime Napping May Lead to An Early Death; But It's Most Likely A Sign Of Something More Serious

Apr 13, 2014 06:46 PM By Anthony Rivas

A new study finds that people who nap for over an hour during the day were more likely to die prematurely, but are naps the cause of death? Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Many of us yearn for the chance to take a midday nap, especially after a rough night with no sleep. And while some countries may see daytime naps, or siestas, as a form of stress relief, being tired often and subsequently napping it off, may be a sign of an underlying health problem. At least, that’s what researchers from Cambridge University are saying, after they found that people who took more daytime naps were also more likely to die younger.

Napping can almost be described as a science. Getting the right amount of sleep during the day could mean the difference between being more tired once you wake up and being energetic. Most experts suggest getting just under 30 minutes of naptime, as it prevents your body from going into deeper stages of sleep. Yet, researchers found that those who napped for more than an hour each day were 32 percent more die early over the course of the 13-year study.

They discovered this after looking at data from the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk prospective cohort study, a comprehensive health study on over 25,000 men and women in the UK, ages 40-79. Of these participants, 16,000 answered questions about their daytime napping habits, and were then categorized into those who took them for less than an hour and more than an hour, with those who took no naps being the control group.

Thirteen years later, participants who took naps lasting over an hour were found to have a greater risk of dying from various causes including heart disease, cancer, and respiratory illnesses — of which they found the link most pronounced. These results held even after accounting for age, sex, social class, educational level, employment status, body mass index, physical activity level, smoking, alcohol intake, depression, medication use, time spent in bed at night, and preexisting conditions.

They noted that the study didn’t prove causation, saying that although there was indeed a link, the cause was likely something not reported by the participants or seen through medical records. “Although a range of preexisting health conditions and medication use was considered in this study, we cannot rule out that our results may be partly explained by the effects of other undiagnosed health problems or medications not included in this study that might cause daytime fatigue or sleepiness,” they wrote.  

So while you’re most likely safe if you’re taking daytime naps, consistently finding yourself tired during the day might be a sign of something more serious than just a bad night’s sleep, and you might want to get that checked out. 

Source: Leng Y, Wainwright N, Khaw K, et al. Daytime Napping and the Risk of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: A 13-Year Follow-up of a British Population. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2014.